Rail joint



W. MATLOCK RAIL JOINT Filed May 24, 1959 w M ,W a. w

March 11, {i

Patented Mar. 1 1:, 9 4

UNITED RAIL J OINT` walter'mauock,BaitimrejMa, Application May 24, 1939;ISeriali'Nofi275g534 1 Claim.

This invention relates to rail joints and more particularly to means for taking up the expansion and contraction of the rails at the mleeting ends thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a rail joint of simple and eificient construction, the parts of which are so arranged as to compensate for the expansion and contraction of the rails due to climatic conditions and thus prevent pounding of the car wheels at the junction of adjacent rails incident to the passage of a train thereover.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint comprising companion splice bars having registering slots formed therein and adapted to receive an insertible filler member formed of Wood, rubber or other suitable material, said filler member serving to receive and absorb the impact of the railV securing bolts and 20 prevent widening of the joint between adjacent rails.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

'ln the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint show- 30 ing the invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

^ 35 Figure 4 is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The improved device forming the subject-matter of the present invention is principally de-' signed for application to the abutting ends of ad- 40 jacent rails, and in Figure 1 of the drawing is shown in connection with a standard rail joint, in which 5 designates the cross ties, 6 and 'I the abutting ends of adjacent rails, 8 the splice bars and 9 the securing bolts. The upper. edge of one of the splice bars 8 is formed with a sectional tread surface l which overlaps and bears against the adjacent rails 6 and 1 at the junction thereof so as to provide a smooth surface for the car 50 wheels When a train is traveling on the track.

The lower longitudinal edge of each splice bar is notched or recessed at to accommodate the heads |2 of securing spikes I 3 which latter are driven into the cross ties, as shown. The notches 55 or recesses ll in the splice bars 8, therefore, serve to house the heads |2 of the spikes and prevent accidental withdrawal thereof. The securing bolts 9 pass through registering openings 14 in the splice bars and the webs |5 of the rails and the openings Ill on one or both sides of the abut- 5 ting ends of the rails are preferably elongated longitudinally of the splice bars to form slots |6 adapted toreceive removable filler keys or blocks ll. The filler blocks |1 may be formed of steel or wood, as illustrated in Figure 2 of thejdrawing, or of rubber or other yieldable material, as indicated at l8 in Figure 4 of the drawing. The outer faces of the filler blocks are convex to conform to Athe curvature of the outer walls of the 510118 18 whfle the inner faces of the fiuer blocks are concave, as 'indicated at |9, and fit around and bear against the adjacent securing bolts 9. Interposed between the securing nuts 20 of the bolts 9 and the outer face of the adjacent splice bar on one or both sides of the '20 abutting ends or rails are washers or retaining plates 2| which extend over the outer faces of the filler blocks l'l and serve to lock said filler blocks within the receiving slots |6`. v

Assuming the abutting ends of the rails are in normal position, that is to say, at the limit of their expansive movement and due to climatic conditions, the rails tend to contract. This contraction of the rails would form a gap or open- O ing between the abutting ends of the rails and thus cause pounding of the car Wheels as they travel thereover. The filler blocks l'l prevent this objectionable condition inasmuch as should the rails contract due to climatic conditions the securing bolts 9 will bear against said filler blocks and receive and absorb the impact incidelnt thereto and prevent the formation of said gap and consequent pounding of the car Wheels and this is particularly true when the filler blocks are 40 formed of rubber or other yieldable material. As the filler blocks Il are removable, they can be readily replaced when necessary by merely removing the nuts 2|] and retaining plates 2|, as will be readily understood.

A device constructed in accordance with the' present invention will render' riding on trains easier and more comfortable than heretofore inasmuch as there will be no objectionable pounding or hammering of the car Wheels and vibration of the passenger coaches incident thereto as a train travels over the tracks. It will, of course, be understood that the devices may be made in different sizes and shapes in the splice bars being elongated longitudinally` of the rail webs to form transversely alined slots having oppositely dsposed concave end Walls, securing bolts extending through the openngs in the rail webs and slots in the splice bars, removable concavo convex filler blocks of uniform cross sectional diameter throughout their entire lengths and formed of resilient relatively compressible material fitting within the transversely alined slots and having their inner and outer ends fiat with their inner ends bearing against the adjacent rail webs and with the convex portions thereof engaging the concave ends of the slots and with the concave portions bearing against the adjacent securing bolts, retaining plates mounted on certain of the securing bolts and bearing against the outer flat ends of the adjacent filler blocks to prevent displacement thereof, the upper edges of the retainng plates fitting against the horizontal shoulder of the tread surface, and nuts engaging the bolts and bearing against the outer faces of the retaining plates. i

WALTER MATLOCK. 

